EVENTS

Let’s all go to the lobby: Santorum dissed protestants

Let's see, who could it be ... SATAN!?

Wuh-woh. Rick Santorum took a shot at what he called mainline protestants back in 2008. Can you imagine the shitstorm if Obama had said anything like this?

(Think Progress) — We all know that this country was founded on a Judeo-Christian ethic but the Judeo-Christian ethic was a Protestant Judeo-Christian ethic, sure the Catholics had some influence, but this was a Protestant country and the Protestant ethic, mainstream, mainline Protestantism, and of course we look at the shape of mainline Protestantism in this country and it is in shambles, it is gone from the world of Christianity as I see it.

Had Obama or probably Romney said anything like that, their respective races would be over. There would be a 24 hour commercial free meltdown going on over at Fox News and across the AM radio band right now. To be clear it could be over for Santorum, too, because of that single quote and the out of whack power of conservatives who worship Republican Jesus. Which I would personally not like to see. Every day Santorum is in the race it weakens Romney, exposes the nasty dominionist agenda, and makes my writing habit easier. So I hope he holds up, but only time will tell.

Comments

Um, that quote doesn’t mean what you think it means. He specifically says “mainline Protestantism”. Most of the fundamentalists in his crowd would agree with him – “mainline” Protestantism is Lutheran and Methodist and Episcopalian and a number of other denominations (like the northern Baptists).

“Mainline Protestant” is a term that is basically the opposite of “Fundamentalist Protestant”. He’s basically saying that all of the Christians in the US who aren’t Catholics and aren’t fundamentalist Protestants are wrong and have driven the country into ruin. Which is stupid, but isn’t going to affect anyone who would vote for him one way or another – the folks who would vote for him would agree with that statement whole-heartedly.

In the last few years, due to the child rape scandals and other problems, there has been a mass exodus from the US Catholic church.

1/3 of the members have left, 22 million people. This is a huge number in a short time.

Talk about a shambles. 22 million people have left, half of those joining…Protestant churches. The vast majority of Catholics that stayed pay no attention to the priests for their own survival. Birth control use among relevant Catholic women is 98%.

Googling a bit for a good definition, check the wikipedia entry for “mainline protestant”. It pretty much agrees with my understanding of what both fundamentalists and members of certain mainline denominations mean when they use the term with me.

They used to hate the Catholics. Anti-Catholic discrimination in the USA has a long and sordid history and it really didn’t start dying down until the late 20th century. It still exists in a lot of places, as referenced above.

They fundies also hate each other. There are splits between Evangelic fundies and Pentacostals and splits among the various fundie cults.

The evangelicals themselves are falling apart. It used to be synonymous with fundies but not anymore. The group is splitting on the basis of age, geography, and politics. (source Hector Avalos, Des Moines Register article). The younger ones are more mainstream and will accept modern science. 30% of evangelicals voted for Obama.

and of course we look at the shape of mainline Protestantism in this country and it is in shambles, it is gone from the world of Christianity as I see it.

That isn’t even the most cuckoo thing Santorum has said.

He is on record as wanting to outlaw birth control and that non-procreative sex is evil. And lots more.

Guy is a one of the most warped personalities we’ve seen in a long time. Don’t forget, during a GOP administration, the not all that liberal voters of Pennsyltucky didn’t reelect Santorum senator. He had a lot of baggage besides his aberrant social views.

Point being it wouldn’t matter what mainline protestant means or what anyone says it means. If Obama said it those distinctions would not matter a wit, it would be portrayed as the coming of the Socilialist Caliphate led by a religion hating liberal black man, and the bit about Judeo-Christian principles founding the country would be icing on the cake. As that could be easily twisted to imply Obama hates the Founding Fathers along with God and Country.

What Santorum said is far worse than what Steven Darksyde has indicated. This is from a speeck at Ave Maria U., a hardline Catholic bible college started by the Dominos pizza guy.

Santorum flat out says that the devil, Satan is attacking the USA. And targeted the Protestant churches. With some success apparently as they are a “shambles” and “gone from the world of xianity”.

Right there this should disqualify him from any elected office including dog catcher. We simply can’t afford some religious crackpot who thinks the devil is attacking the USA and winning.

This is BTW, not even the worst of what Santorum has said recently. The guy is a broken human with a seriously warped personality.

Santorum:

“This is not a political war at all. This is not a cultural war at all. This is a spiritual war,” Santorum said during his August 29, 2008 speech. “And the Father of Lies (Satan) has his sights on what you would think the Father of Lies, Satan, would have his sights on: a good, decent, powerful, influential country, the United States of America.”

deleted gibberish for length

“And of course we look at the shape of mainline Protestantism in this country and it is a shambles. It is gone from the world of Christianity as I see it. So they attacked mainline Protestantism, they attacked the Church, and what better way to go after smart people who also believe they’re pious — to use both vanity and pride to go after the Church.”